A new summer initiative is underway in an attempt to curb crime at Victory Park.

The park in west Louisville has plenty of amenities for the people who live in the neighborhood to enjoy, though city leaders said they want them to be able to enjoy the park without fear.

"We get complaints from the residents about gang activity in the park and people selling drugs from the park, drinking in the park, playing dice in the park, all of the things that you shouldn't be doing in the park, that causes people concern," said Louisville Metro Councilman David James.

James said he'd like to see the empty swings and playgrounds at Victory Park filled with law-abiding residents enjoying the park they way it was intended, but in order to do that, he said those misusing it have to get out.

"Go someplace other than here," said James.

In particular, James is referring to the gang known as the Victory Park Crips. Louisville Metro Police said the park falls in their territory between 17th and 23rd streets.

City leaders are hoping an $11,000 investment into overtime for police officers will help take the park back.

"(Police are going) to be out on foot, to be on bicycles, on ATVs so they can interact with the residents here. We have a lot of great law-abiding citizens who live here and they'd really like to be able to use their park without fear of anything happening to their children or themselves due to gang activity," said James.

James said if residents feel comfortable in the park, they'll be encouraged to take leadership roles in their neighborhoods to make things better.

"It'll be a peaceful, happy time for everybody to have without the drama of all the other things that are currently happening in the park," said James.

The initiative is expected to begin next week and last throughout the summer.

Victory Park and the California neighborhood surrounding it have been the sites of numerous killings and shootings over the past decade.

WANTS ITS PARK BACK... AND CITY LEADERS ARE MAKING AN EFFORT TO GIVE IT TO THEM... W-L-K-Y'S ERIN HAYNES HAS THE DETAILS OF A SUMMER INITIATIVE TO CURB CRIME. DAVID JAMES SAYS HE'D LIKE TO SEE THESE EMPTY SWINGS AND PLAYGROUNDS IN VICTORY PARK FILLED WITH LAW-ABIDING RESIDENTS ENJOYING THE PARK THEY WAY IT WAS INTENDED... BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT... HE SAYS THOSE MIS-USING IT HAVE TO GET OUT. IN PARTICULAR, JAMES IS REFERRING TO THE GANG KNOWN AS THE "VICTORY PARK CRIPS"... METRO POLICE SAY THE PARK FALLS IN THEIR TERRITORY BETWEEN 17TH AND 23RD STREETS... CITY LEADERS ARE HOPING AN $11-THOUSAND DOLLAR INVESTMENT INTO OVER- TIME FOR POLICE OFFICERS WILL HELP TAKE THE PARK BACK. JAMES SAYS IF RESIDENTS FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THE PARK... THEY'LL BE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE LEADERSHIP ROLES IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS TO MAKE THINGS BETTER. VICTORY PARK IS A FOUR- ACRE METRO PARK AT 22ND AND KENTUCKY IN THE CALIFORNIA NEIGHBORHOOD. THE AREA HAS BEEN THE SITE OF NUMEROUS HOMICIDES AND SHOOTINGS OVER THE PAST DECADE.